CSSP, NCPAG degree programs complete External Quality Review
November 3, 2026
The University of the Philippines Diliman marked another significant step in its journey toward ISO 21001 Educational Organization Management System (EOMS) Certification. Held on April 6 and 13, 2026, at the Balay Kalinaw Conference Hall, the UP Diliman Quality Assurance Office (QAO) conducted the ISO 21001 EOMS Awareness Orientation and Risk Management Training aimed at strengthening stakeholders’ understanding of quality assurance, building readiness for the implementation phase, and advancing UP Diliman units’ shared commitment to honor, excellence, and service.
Engr. Margel Albano-Jajurie during her lecture session on ISO 21001 EOMS Awareness Orientation.
Quality management expert Engr. Margel Albano-Jajurie, Lead Consultant from Macro Vision Consultancy, served as the resource speaker, tackling the basic requirements of ISO 21001:2018 EOMS and providing introductory workshops on the methodology of risk management. The training series is designed for stakeholders to understand the principles of managing the educational organization. Participants were taught to apply and integrate the principles to UPD units’ respective mandate and processes.
Participants from the different administrative units and academic units from the Arts and Letters, Science and Technology, Social Sciences and Law, and Management and Economics Clusters actively participated in the two-day training. The series highlighted lectures, workshop sessions, open forum, and assessment activities to facilitate knowledge sharing, open dialogue and critical analysis of university processes.
Training participants actively engage in various interactive activities.
Participants from the UP Diliman Records Management Committee (RMC) and the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) also led the knowledge sharing during the sessions. In a query to the quality management expert, Prof. Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete highlighted the implementation of ISO 21001:2018 EOMS and how it is related to the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), Self-Assessment Report (SAR), and AUN-QA program assessment framework.
Members of the UP Diliman Quality Assurance Committee and Records Management Committee during the ISO Training Series.
In her Closing Remarks, Performance Monitoring Team Faculty-in-Charge Prof. Susan Festin pressed on the importance of the training for institutional and operational efficiency in the University, “I think we have to remember that our goal is not compliance. Our goal is essentially to use this opportunity to reflect on the processes that we are doing in UP Diliman.” Prof. Festin further discussed how the units’ common strengths help address UP Diliman units’ similarities on weaknesses and threats.
Prof. Susan Festin, PMT Faculty-in-Charge, in her Closing Message during the ISO 21001 Training Series.
Completion of the Awareness and Risk Management training is a prerequisite for the Internal Audit Training in November 2026, which serves as a core requirement for ISO certification. The Internal Audit phase will be the ‘Check’ phase, ensuring that UP Diliman’s educational processes are effectively maintained and continuously improved to consistently meet stakeholders’ needs and requirements. With a bigger pool of internal auditors, the UP Diliman strengthens its internal audit capability for the Implementation Phase.
The Master of Science (Geography), Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy), and Bachelor of Public Administration programs of the University of the Philippines Diliman successfully completed the 5th External Quality Review (EQR) Visit held from September 30 to October 2, 2026. The three degree programs serve distinct academic and professional purposes, from advancing geographical research and understanding complex ideas to preparing students for careers in education, private industries, and public service. Reviewing them presented an opportunity to examine how their curricula and learning experiences prepare graduates to apply their knowledge in their respective fields and respond to the needs of the communities and sectors they serve. The External Quality Reviewers, UPD Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, UPD QAO Director Evangeline C. Amor, CSSP Dean Ruth R. Lusterio-Rico, and NCPAG Dean Kristoffer B. Berse posed for a group photo during the opening session. The review was conducted by an EQR Team composed of academic and quality assurance practitioners from UP Diliman and UP Manila. Professor Emeritus Irene M. Villaseñor of the Institute of Chemistry served as the Lead External Quality Reviewer (EQR) for the MS Geography program, as well as the Chief of the EQR team. She was assisted by Associate Professor
Culminating a week of collaborative learning and unit showcases, the inaugural UP Diliman QAhusayan Fair concluded on September 11, 2026 with a celebratory closing ceremony.
During the opening ceremony of the inaugural UP Diliman QAhusayan Fair 2026 held on September 7, 2026, Dean Dina C. Magnaye, presented the transformative journey of the School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP) as a world-class academic unit of the University of the Philippines.
The UPD QAO held the inaugural QAhusayan Fair from September 7 to 11, 2026, officially marking September as the University’s QA Month, with the theme “Empowering Excellence through a Culture of Quality.”
The UP Diliman College of Engineering, in partnership with UP Diliman Quality Assurance Office, successfully conducted the week-long CoE Self-Assessment Report (SAR) Writing Workshop on August 10-14, 2026, targeting the continuous quality improvement of their graduate degree programs.
The BS Biology and BS FLCD programs of UP Diliman successfully underwent the 504th AUN-QA Programme Assessment on July 21-23, 2026, together with the Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and the Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Arts programs of UP Mindanao.